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Friday, January 20, 2012

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde


I don't have much to say about The Picture of Dorian Gray, except that the book is extremely dull and boring, and that it is a book that I would not have finished if it were not for English class.

So how is it boring? Well, it is in many respects. For example, a large part of the book is Lord Henry giving long speeches about hedonism and the pursuit of pleasure; everything he says is quite similar, and it gets repetitive after a short while. Also, when I was reading the novel, I really could not finish reading chapter eleven without falling asleep; the entire chapter merely describes the kinds of music Dorian listens to, the kinds of jewels that he likes, etc.

This being said, I do like the idea of this book: a young man trading his soul for eternal youth and beauty, and as a result falling into a downward spiral of demoralization and decadence. It is certainly a captivating topic, as well as a philosophical one. The plot is good too, with many events that are dramatic enough. 

So to sum up, this book was boring and dull at many points, so I disliked it despite its interesting theme and good plot. I would never want to reread this novel when I become older.